Explosive vapor engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. H. NASH.

EXPLOSIVE VAPOR ENGINE.

No. 331,078. Patented Nov. 24,1885.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

L. H. NASH.

EXPLOSIVE VAPOR ENGINE. No. 331,078. ,P a ented N0v. 24, 1885.

N. PETERS PholoLilhSgraphel: Washingtnn. D. c.

NlTED drains Parent Orrrcn,

LEWIS HALLOOK NASH, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL METER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXPLOSIVE VAPOR ENGlNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,078, dated November 24, 11.885.

Application filed October 23, 1884. Serial No. 146,263; (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Lnwrs HALLOOK NASH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Vapor Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in explosive-vapor engines; and the object of my improvements is to provide for operating an explosive-vapor engine by a vapor produced from kerosene or other volatile oil supplied to the engine in a dry and superheated condition, and thereby prevent the entrance into 1 5 the cylinder of liquid particles, which would zodense rapidly and carry with it more or less liquid particles into the power-cylinder, their evaporization by contact with the hot valves and cylinder would produce an irregular supply of fuel, and thereby render the engine un- 2 5 steady, as stated, and therefore objectionable.

My improvement avoids this objection by provision for draining the vapor supplying pipe and superheating the vapor within the pipe-section which joins a hot portion of the 0 engine, thereby evaporating the liquid particles as fast as they may condense on the walls of the supply-pipe, whereby the engine may be used in places where there is no provision for supplying gas from street-mains,

5 or for use in ships launches, or otherwise where it may not be desirable to use illumihating-gas for the working-fluid. My improvement also provides that the supply of the working-vapor shall be self-regulating as to the pressure of the vapor-supply and as to the quantity of the supply, so as to respond instantly to the demands of the engine.

My invention embraces, in combination, an engine, a boiler independent of the engine, for

containing the oil for producing the workingvapor arranged to drain the vapor-supplying pipe, a pressure-chamber for receiving and storing the vapor, also arranged to drain into the boiler, and means for supplying or injecting the liquid fuel into the boiler, all co-operating to deliver a dry vapor produced from avolatile oil into the engine, and to control and regulate the production of the vapor and the amount of fuel evaporated in proportion to the pressure of the vapor generated, all making one operative mechanism, one concrete organization, tending to the accomplishment of a simple result-via, to operate the engine with dry vapor delivered therein direct from a boiler with a pressure practically constant, with a production regulated by the degree of such pressure, and with provision for draining the engine connecting-pipes into said boiler, to the end that the disarraugernent of the regular action of the engine will be prevented, which would otherwise result from the employment of a wet vapor of oil introduced into the engine direct from a boiler. These objects I attain in the manner which I will now proceed to describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 represents in vertical sectional elevation an explosive engine connected for operation with a boiler for producing vapor from volatile oil, a pressure-storage chamber for the vapor, and an oil-supplying reservoir, the vapor-supplying pipes and the said presslire-storage chamber being arranged to drain into the boiler; Fig. 2, a vertical section of a boiler having a pressure-storage chamber inclosed therein; Fig. 3, a vertical section of a modified form of pressure-storage chamber, and Fig. 4 a vertical section showing a modification in the arrangement of the pressurestorage chamber in relation to the boiler.

I have shown in connection with the evaporator or boiler a simple form of an explosive engine provided with a simple form of governor for controlling the supply of vapor to the engine-valves, using a charge of air at atmospheric pressure; but my invention may be applied to any form of explosive engine-es, for instance, the engine shown and described in an application for a patent filed by me May 8, 1884, under Serial No. 130,786, which is a single-acting gas-engine.

In the drawings which illustrate such engine, A represents a cylinder; B, the piston, and O the rod connecting the piston. with the crank-shaft. The main valve V is operated by the eccentric 00 and rod y, so as to control the inlet of the air and vapor into the cylinder and the discharge of the waste products at K, and connect it with the reservoir I, at

therefrom. Asupply-valve, V, for the vapor is similarly connected and operated bythe rod 3 and eccentric c, the two valves being placed side by side, and operating in chambers which communicate with the air, with the vaporsupplying pipe, and with the combustion-chamber of the cylinder. The chamber of the valve V opens at the top of the cylinderhead A at g, and into the combustron-chamber B by the side port, a, which is opened and closed by said valve. The vaporsupplying valve V is of less length than the valve V, and its chamber extends up and opens at 6 into the chamber f of the valve V, and forms the vapor-supply passage d, isolated from the direct communication with the cylinder-chamber. The valve V operates a port,

' b, at the bottom of the vaporsupply passage d, which port communicates with an outside vapor-supply pipe, 0, upon which the governor is arranged for operating the valve 0, which controls the vapor-supply. The governor is operated by the pulleys h h from the crankshaft E and connecting-gear. In this construction the air required to complete the combustible charge is sucked into the cylinder by the action of the engine through the passage f, which opens at the top of the cylinder-head.

The fuel-boiler or, evaporating-chamber H may be of any suitable construction and heated by any suitable means, having an inlet-opening, 1;, for the liquid fuel at the bottom, and the outlet-opening j for the vapor at the top, which communicates with the bottom of a pressure-storage chamber, D, having a variable volume. The boiler or evaporating-chamberis suppliedwith the oil through a pipe, P, which connects the bottom of said boiler with the bottom of a reservoir, I, having an airinlet, Z, and which may be placed at any desired distance from the engine, and at a height therein, and in proportion to the degree of such pressure the oil,W, therein will be forced back into the supply-reservoir, so that the level of the oil, W, in the latter will at all times, under such pressure, be higher than the level of the oil in the boiler. If the level of the oil in the reservoir be represented by the line m and that in the boiler by the line n, the height m n will be the measure of the pressure of the vapor in the boiler.

To keep the reservoir I constantly supplied with the oil fuel, it is supplemented by an airtight reservoir, K, having a pipe extending into the reservoir I, so as to act, upon the principle of the well-known students lamp, to maintain the supply in the reservoir having. direct communication with the boiler. I may, however, place this supplemental reservoirK any desired distance from the reservoir I, and

' construct it of any desired capacity, as shown age-chamber.

the level of the oil in the latter, by a pipe, P provided with a cock, 0, so that the level of the oil in the reservoir I would be governed by said pipe.

The storage chamber D is constructed so as to be capable of expanding and contracting, according to the pressure of the vapor therein, to give out a sudden and free volume of the vapor into the cylinder the instant the enginevalves open. The chamber for this purpose may be of any suitable construction that will adapt itself to a'variable volume and pressure, such as the rubber bag used with the gasengine and the street-main gas-supply pipe for the same purpose. This chamber is connected at the bottom to the boiler by the pipe 1?, and at the top to the engine by the pipe P, so that the vapor condensed will drain back into the boiler. This chamber may be placed at any desired distance from the engine; but the vapor'conducting pipes should be covered by a non-conductor, P, to prevent as far as possible the condensation of the vapor in the pipes. The pipe 0, which carries the governor-valve 0, should be arranged so as to drain into the pipe P, which connects the storage-chamber, and the latter is connected so as to drain into the boiler. The boiler may, however, receive the drainage from the condensation direct from the Vaporsupplying pipe P and also from the storage-chamber separately, because to effect the desired result it is not necessary that the storage-chamber should be placedin the vapor-supply pipe, nor that the vapor should flow through it to the engine, but it must have free communication with the boiler, or with a pipe leading therefrom.

In Fig. 3 I have shown-a modification of the pressure-storage chamber, consisting of-a metal. box; D, having a hopper-bottom and an inner circular partition, D of less height I supply-pipe P at its connection with the storj InFig. 4 I have shown the storage-chamber having the sealing-float shown in Fig. 3 connected with the chamber of the boiler independent of the pipe I which connects the ing the vapor through the boiler into the engine.

For economy of heat the'boil'er is inclosed is obtained by the burner-jets J, which are supplied by the pipe J, which enters the jacket, so as to support the burners beneath the bottom of the boiler, or the boiler may be heated in any other desired way.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a convenient way in which the boiler may contain the pressurestorage chamber. In this modification the boiler is formed, like the storage-chamber shown in Fig. 4, with a circular partition, so

as to form a mercury cup, within which an inverted-cup float is placed, so as to form a -movable sealed or pressure-chamber for the boiler. In this modification the vapor-outlet pipe P passes up through the bottom of the boiler, and extends above the surface of the fuel therein, so as to open into the vaporspace, and the float is caused to rise and fall within the boiler, according to the pressure of the vapor, and to fall to press out the vapor into the engine at every opening movement of the valves. In this modification I have made provision for automatically controlling the heat of the boiler. The jet-supplying pipe J has a cock, lc, which is operated to control the supply to the burners by a lever, k, which connects with avertical rod, 70 having a horizontal arm, k atits upper end, which extends over the top of the boiler-case and connects with the upper end of a rod, k, which, passing through the top of the boiler-case, is attached to the top of the pressureregulating storagechamber. This rod is provided with collars e (2 above and below the end of the rod k so that when the float rises high enough by the pressure of the vapor the collar 6 will lift the rod k which, by its connection with the lever k of the cock it, will turn the latter and shut off the fuel-supply to the burners, and thus reduce the quantity of oil evaporated. \Vhen the float falls, the collar e will engage the arm and open the cock to give full supply to the burners and again increase the quantity of fuel evaporated. In this way the expansion and contraction of the storagechamber is utilized to control the heat of the boiler and the quantity of the oil evaporated in the boiler. In this construction the drain from the vapor-supply pipe P will be by a draw-off cock P in the lowest part'of said pipe in a drip-chamber, P. In proportion to the pressure of the vapor generated the quantity of the oil in the boiler will be increased or diminished, and thus regulate the amount of surface of the oil which is in contact with the hot walls of the boiler, and thus regulate the quantity of the oil evaporated. This regulating action is effective in the constructions shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 without the controlling-cock, as I will now describe.

In Fig. 1 the lines m n illustrate the level of the oil in the boiler, and in the pressurestorage chamber when the engine is working, so that the pressure of the vapor in the boiler Will be measured by the difference of the level m n.

An increaseof the vapor-pressure may cause the levels of the oil to change to m n, which will then represent the pressure of the vapor in the boiler. Should the pressure increase sufficient to force all the oil from the boiler into the. supply-reservoir, then the evaporation of the oil will practically cease until the pressure decreases sufflciently to allow the oil to again feed by gravity into the boiler. By this means the pressure in the boiler can never be greater than that of the hydraulic head, and the quantity of oil evaporated will be controlled by the quantity of oil in the boiler. By making the supply-reservoir of large surface in comparison with the volume of the boiler the variations in the level of the liquid in the supply-reservoir will not be very great, and hence the pressure of the vapor in the boiler will be constant enough to render the pressure or discharging function of the storage-chamber always active.

I have stated that the vapor-supplying pipes are arranged to communicate with the enginevalves at a hot portion of the engine, and I mean by this such connection must be in such proximity to the combustionchamber of the engine as to be so highly heated by the waste heat thereof as to superheat the vapor before its entrance into the cylinder. This provision, in connection with draining the vapor-supplying pipes, is of essential importance in operating an engine by the vapor of a volatile oil.

I have shown no means for igniting the charge, as I may use any of the known methods by which such ignition may be effected.

I have shown an engine operating with a charge at atmospheric pressure, but my invention may be applied to any engine operating to compress its charge.

The invention embraced in the method which I have herein described of operating an explosive-vapor engine is not claimed herein, but is made the subject of a separate and distinct application for a patent filed by me February 24:, 1885, under Serial No. 156,740, and entitled method of operating gasengines.

I claim- 1. The combination, with an explosive-vapor engine, of aboiler for evaporating avolatile oil for operating the engine, a vapor-pressure-storage chamber, the vapor-supply pipes arranged to enter a hot portion of the engine and to drain into the boiler, and a supply-reservoir automatically supplying the boiler, according to the pressure of the vapor therein.

2. The combination, with an explosive-vapor engine, an independent boiler for evaporating a volatile oil for operating the engine, of a pressure-storage chamber and a supplyreservoir, the vapor-supply pipe being arranged to drain into the boiler, and the oilsupply pipes arranged to maintain an automatic regulated supply to said boiler, and a regulated vaporsupply to said engine, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination ,with an explosive-vapor engine, of an independent boiler for evaporating a volatile oil for operating the engine, an automatic movable pressure-storage chamber for the vapor, and a supply-reservoir for the oil, the communication of said reservoir with the boiler being such as to supply the latter by gravity controlled solely by the pressure of the vapor therein, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4. The combination,with an explosive-vapor engine and an independent oilevaporating boiler for operating the engine, of a pressurestorage chamber acting by a positive movement of itself, a supply-reservoir for the oil in perpetual communication with said vaporizing-boiler, and a gas-burner supply-pipe, all constructed and arranged for cooperation, substantially as described.

5. The combination,with an explosive-vapor engine, of an oil-evaporating boiler for operating the same, containing (within a liquid seal) a pressure-storage chamber for the vapor movable within said boiler, whereby to displace by gravity the vapor under pressure to the engine, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

6. The combination,with an explosive-vapor engine, an independent boiler for evaporating a volatile oil for operating the engine, and a movable pressure storage chamber for the vapor seated within a liquid seal within said boiler, of a burner-pipe and supply-controlling cock for said pipe controlled in its regulated position by connections with said movable pressure-storage chamber, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

7. In combination, in an explosive-vapor engine, the evaporating-boiler H, the movable pressure-storage chamber for the vapor, and a supply-reservoir for the oil, both having free communication with said boiler, the vapor-supplying pipes being arranged to drain into the boiler, and the oil-supply pipes arranged to maintain, by gravity controlled solely by the pressure of the vapor in saidboiler, an automatically-regulated supply to said boiler and an automaticallyacting regulated vaporsupply to the engine, substantially as herein set forth.

8. The combination,with an explosive-vapor engine, an independent boiler for evaporating a Volatile oil for operating the engine, and a pressure storage chamber connecting with both contained within said boiler, of a gasburner pipe, J, having a controlling-cock, k, and means for connecting it with the pressure-storage chamber, consisting of the connecting-rods k and k*, the latter having a fixed connection with the storage-chamber, and the collars 6' 6 for operating the cock-connecting rod, substantially as herein set forth.

9. The combination, with a boiler forevapcrating liquid fuel having a suitable source of fuel-supply, of a pressure-storage chamber for the vapor, connected with the vapor-space of said boiler, and an explosive engine receiving its charge of vapor direct from said boiler, for the purpose specified.

10. The combination, with an explosive engine, of a boiler independent thereof, a pressure-storage chamber, and a supply-reservoir communicating with the bottom of said independent boiler, whereby the pressure of the vapor in the boiler will act to regulate the quantity of the oil exposed to its evaporating surfaces, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS HALLOCK NASH.- Witnesses:

H. W. BRINOKERHOFF, W. O. WESTERVELT. 

